With the Michigan House advancing a controversial resolution calling on the Michigan High School Athletic Association to comply with an executive order barring transgender girls from competing in female sports, LGBTQ+ advocates have swiftly come out against the move.
Erin Knott, the executive director of Equality Michigan, which aims to protect and support the state’s LGBTQ+ residents, issued a statement Wednesday condemning the resolution.
“We all want sports to be fair and student athletes to be safe. That’s why the MHSAA already has rules about who can participate in different sports at different levels across a range of issues. They already have a process in place and are experts when it comes to sports in schools. They don’t need politicians in Lansing to override their expertise with a one-size-fits-all blanket ban,” Knott said.
The MHSAA allows transgender girls to play on female teams on a case-by-case basis, requiring those athletes to complete a waiver.
On Feb. 5, President Donald Trump issued an executive order promising to rescind federal funds from all educational programs allowing transgender girls to compete in sports with other girls.
MHSAA spokesperson Geoff Kimmerly previously told the media the organization is awaiting clarification on how the executive order interacts with Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which was expanded in 2023 to bar discrimination against an individual based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.
Last week 17 GOP members of the Michigan House signed on to a letter demanding the organization comply with Trump’s executive order, warning that it could cost the state its federal funding.
“State officials at MHSAA must be confused because President Trump didn’t ask their opinion when he ordered them to protect girls’ sports. He was loud and clear: Michigan is prohibited from allowing biological males to compete against our female athletes,” Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) said in a March 6 statement.
Wednesday’s resolution passed 66-43, receiving support from all 58 Republican House members, but also notably, eight Democrats; Reps. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn), Peter Herzberg (D-Westland), Tullio Liberati (D-Allen Park), Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens), Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Twp.), Will Snyder (D-Muskegon), Angela Witwer (D-Delta Twp.) and Mai Xiong (D-Warren).
Knott slammed the lawmakers who supported the effort, accusing Republicans of seeking to score “cheap political points attacking trans youth and their families,” and saying Democrats who supported the measure have “crossed a dangerous line.”
In an email, Kimmerly told the Michigan Advance the MHSAA follows and will continue to follow all applicable state and federal laws.
“We are monitoring developments in this regard closely, including federal litigation challenging the recent Executive Order and potential changes to state law that have been introduced in the Michigan legislature. The MHSAA plays no role in either, however. Until those matters are resolved, the MHSAA is not in a position to change its current rules or policies, which again comply with applicable state and federal law,” Kimmerly said.
There were zero transgender girls on girls sports teams this winter and none with waivers to participate this spring, Kimmerly said, noting that everyone can play on boys teams, so no waiver is required.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has already moved to bar transgender women from competing on women’s teams, limiting competition to “student-athletes assigned female at birth only,” while allowing “student-athletes assigned male at birth” to participate in practices and receive medical care during practice.
The Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles estimates there are 300,700 transgender youth ages 13 to 17 in the U.S. and 398,900 transgender young adults ages 18 to 24, many of whom could be impacted by a ban.
One report found that 40.7% of transgender youth in grades nine through 12 played on at least one sports team, meaning that as many as 122,000 transgender youths could be participating in high school team sports.
The Williams Institute also pointed to multiple studies noting how participating in sports benefits LGBTQ youth, including higher levels of self-esteem, lower levels of depression, and greater school belonging. Transgender and nonbinary students who participated in high school sports reported higher grades than those who did not.
Transgender students who participated in collegiate sports were also less likely to report psychological distress, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicidal behavior compared to transgender students who did not participate in sports.
While those seeking to bar transgender women and girls from female teams argue they enjoy an unfair advantage, a review of studies into the participation of trans individuals in sports found there was no consistent research suggesting transgender women experience an athletic advantage at any stage of their transition.
Another study from the Williams Institute found no evidence to support claims that allowing trans people to use public restrooms or other gender-segregated facilities created safety risks.
